Summer Camp

SUMMER CAMP

We have heard your thoughts and concerns, talked to our licensing team, and decided that Bluff Lake will be switching to a small group camp format for summer 2020. This new format will allow for increased safety for our staff and campers as well as provide campers a unique small group team experience! Please read the above FAQ for more info about what this means and how it will impact you. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Bluff Lake’s Director of Operations, Maggie Willden, by email at maggie@blufflake.org.

To decrease the risk of exposure and provide plenty of adult oversight for campers’ hygiene practices, we will be having primary group sizes no larger than 4 campers per 1 counselor. The 4 campers + 1 counselor will be the same individuals throughout the week. To add additional opportunities for campers, and to maximize campers’ access to favorite site areas, each group of 4 campers + 1 counselor will have a partner group. At times, these two groups may participate in shared activities. The partner groups will remain consistent throughout the week, and physical distancing practices will still be maintained. Camp itself will look very similar to our regular Bluff Lake camp. A day will be filled with crafts, crawdad hunting, nature walks, and games. However these small groups will not be sharing the same space at the same time. We plan to use a lot of new spaces at Bluff Lake including our updated onsite building, additional new shaded spaces, and our exciting new nature play areas. We plan to cap weekly registration at 28 kids (7 groups).

At Bluff Lake Summer Camp, our weekly outdoor nature camps offer a unique opportunity for kids and teens! We have something for everyone, with Weekly Camp Themes for ages 5-11 or ages 10-12, and a Junior Counselor Program for ages 12-15.

Through a blend of nature exploration, hands-on science lessons, games, crafts, and unstructured free-play, we inspire campers to better understand and enjoy the outdoors. Small group sizes and family feel give every camper the opportunity to be curious, active, and appreciated!

Weekly themes delve into environmental education topics, while also giving campers plenty of time for creek play, hands-on science activities, animal encounters, crafts, and hikes. Each week will be enhanced by presentations from science and nature experts. Campers’ families will also receive emails from camp leaders that describe the week’s events and discoveries, and include photos of the adventures!

These camps are for every kid or teen with some energy to play, grow, and build a strong future for themselves and the planet!

All ages are welcome for these FREE, fun, and educational drop-in programs! We will have a campfire and s'mores to roast, as well as interactive activities ranging from astronomy to animals to music. Fireside Chats are held the second Thursday evening of each month from March through October (except for April, which is held the first Thursday). The new times for this year are 7:30-9PM in March and April, and 6:30-7:30PM in May through October.

June 11: Animal Anatomy6:30-7:30 pm

See and touch real bones and animal pelts! Learn about the animals that can be found at Bluff Lake, and the way their bodies and habits help them thrive. Look through the collection of small bones we’ve found around the site (cleaned and whitened), and see if you can identify which animal and part of the body they came from. A special guest will also be bringing some of his own specimens for you to look at! You can even look for your own bones during the hike, and take home instructions for how you can clean and whiten them yourselves.

Join our youth education team for FREE monthly themed family days! These drop-in style programs will be held on the last Saturday morning of each month from March through September. The new time for this year will be 9AM-12PM. There will be activities, crafts, scavenger hunts, kids' equipment to borrow for exploration hikes, and visits from live animal guests with Nature's Educators (select months).

Join us for Sunday morning Qigong and a mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake, led by Joann Calabrese, mindfulness and qigong instructor. Group meets at the downstairs Pavilion for Qigong, a gentle mind-body practice that promotes health and vitality as well as focused awareness. The mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake begins around 40 minutes later. Come for either or both!

Program will begin at 7:30 am in March, April and September, and at 7 am May-August.